Process for the molding in their own packing of fusible or thermoplastic products



April 25, 195o Filed July l5, 1947 J. PRQCESS FOR THE BRANDENBERGER nomma 1N mm owN PACKING oF FUSIBLE 0R THERMOPLASTIC PRODUCTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hilll s mit* n1-roman April! 25, A1950 J. E. BRANDENBERGER 25959593 PRoCEss PoR THE MCLDINC IN THEIR ovm PACKING oP PUSIBLE 0R THERMOPLASTIC PRODUCTS Fild July l5, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NWI. f @uw I I MTTCKNEY.

API'Y25, 1950 J. E. BRANDENBERGER 2,505,603

PROCESS FOR THE HOLDING IN THEIR OWN PACKING 0F FUSIBLE OR THERMOPLASTIC PRODUCTS Filed July 15. `19,47

/NVENTOR AT TOR Ht',

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 drums are provided with projections Il which, coming almost in contact in pairs, squeeze the sheet or roll while still plastic at intervals in such manner that on leaving these rollers there is obtained a continuous string I6 of thick tablets of material separated by a thin part constituted simply by the two opposite faces of the packing skin which has come into contact and adhere together. The adhesion may furthermore be accentuated by shaping the surface of the projections I5of the rollers I3, I4 so as to produce a goffering of the two faces of the skin which have come into contact. The string I6 thus formed is then carried at I1 on to an endless belt I8 arranged in a closed space I9, is there energetically cooled by a fluid entering at 20 and emerging at 2l, in such manner that on leaving, at 22, the tablets are suiiiciently hardened and indeformable. A cutting device 23 of any known type, having a reciprocating movement suitably synchronised with the movement of the conveyor I8, separates the tablets 24 which fall down a chute 25 to pile up at 26 in the interior of boxes 21. These boxes, for example of cardboard, are preferably brought automatically by a transverse conveyor on which they are deposited by a mechanism which can manufacture them directly from a continuous band of cardboard. The iilled boxes Z'I pass on to an endless belt 28 having an interrupted movement, which leads them to a point, not shown, for their packing. This latter operation may itself beautomatic.

Fig. 5 shows a modication in which there is poured successively, into the trough I, a rst product through a nozzle 5 and, after the scraper 1 has regulated the upper face of the layer formed, there is poured through a second nozzle 5', another liquid product more or less viscous, such as a cream, the second layer thus formed has its surface smoothed by a second scraper 1'.

Naturally, when the whole of the trough thus iilled passes into the device 8 intended to fold the two longitudinal edges of the band l over each other, the two layers of products 4 and 4' more or less intermingle and experience shows that, in fact, the lower layer practically coats in a complete manner the product 4' spread on this layer, there can thus be obtained filled products.

It is quite evident that the rollers I3 and I4, intended to form the tablets or small slabs can be arranged at any other suitable place provided that at the point where these rollers are placed, the packed substance is sufliciently plastic. These rollers could, for example, be placed immediately after the device 8 intended to form the flat roll. In this case, the cooling cylinders would have to comprise a rim of polygonal shape, possibly hollowed out with recesses each one of which would take, as in a mould, one of the successive tablets formed by the said rollers I3 and I4.

Figs. 6 to 15 represent another embodiment of the invention.

According to this modification, the packing skin 29, after having left guide rollers 30 and 3| comes under a metal plate 32 the proiile of which varies progressively from a flat or plain shape passing through curved shapes (Fig. 9) to terminate progressively at the trough profile of Fig. 10. 'I'he extremity of the metal part 32 engages in a channel 33 (Figs. 8, 11) in which it continues in the form of a ilat strip 34, the thickness of which is approximately equal to that of the slabs of packed material which it is desired to make.

The skin 29 shown dotted thus assumes the form of a trough, the two raised edges of which will be folded over successively by folders 35 and 38 (Figs. 8, 12) which thus impart, before filling, the final form which the packed products are to have, as appears from Fig. 12. At the point 31 is arranged the tube 38 delivering the product to be packed; its shape (Fig. 13) is such that the edges of the skin 29 can remain partially folded back. The nozzle or tuyre 38 has an outlet oririce the profile of which corresponds to that which it is desired to give to the small slabs of packed material, which, due to the folds preliminarily marked on the skin, permits of obtaining a perfect shape. The complete folding over of the band is carried out by a folder 39 for one edge, and by the folder 40 for the second edge.

The continuous band of packed product then passes over cooled rollers 4I (Fig. 6) arranged as in the iirst example and on leaving these rollers it passes through a device 42 formed of two shells which separate and approach each other at a suitably calculated rhythm, thus effecting by pressure the approach at a definite width, of the two faces of the skin, in such manner as to constitute the intervals separating the small slabs. The two shells are provided at their lower part with a suitable cutting device 42a in such manner that on the closing together of these two shells, the small slab 43 which has just emerged, is cut at the centre of a separation. This slab drops on to an inclined gutter 44 which deposits. it on to one of the blades of a revolving stand 45 having an axis perpendicular to the vertical longitudinal plane of the machine. The gutter or channel 44,

the upper extremity of which is fixed, is arranged in such manner that its lower extremity can be shifted laterally by successive impulses after each cut by an amount a little larger than the width of a tablet. The lateral displacements of the lower extremity of the gutter or channel 44 are ensured automatically by successive impulses, iirst in the direction of the arrow f1 and then in the reverse direction, by means of successive tractive efforts exerted on the said extremity of the revolving table parallel to the axis of the said table, by any known means, for example by an endless chain 44a passing over pinions 44h and 44 driven in intermittent rotation iirst in one direction and then in the other.

There are thus arranged side by side on each blade of the revolving table a certain number of tablets. When the blade of the revolving table is lled over the whole of its Width, this table carries out by means of an intermittent driving mechanism of any known type, a quarter of a turn in the direction of the arrow f2 (Fig. 6) which has for effect 'to deposit automatically on an endless belt 46-(Fig. 6) the tablets arranged in rows on the horizontal blade of the revolving table.

During this time, the following blade has taken the place of the first one and is being iilled up in its turn with small slabs by a reverse movement of the inclined gutter or channel which returns progressively to the rear.

This device appreciably increases the efficiency of the endless belt 46 passing through the refrigerating chamber 41, for in the case of Fig. 1 it could only convey a single file of tablets. This belt is extended at its extremity 48 by a fixed inclined plane 48a which depositan transverse row of tablets on to another revolving table 49 having for its object to deposit them onto a fresh endless belt 50 at the end of which the tablets completely hardened slide on to a last inclined plane l which carries them to the boxing station.

It will be understood that with a very reduced length and volume of the refrigerating chamber it is possible by means of the device described to obtain a very high output of tablets of unexceptionable shape.

Naturally, the invention is in no way restricted to the methods oi embodiment shown and described which have only been selected by way of example.

In the rst example, the cylinders t to i2 may be located in a refrigerated enclosure.

The cylinder cooling devices may naturally be replaced by any other supporting and cooling surfaces. In any case, it is advantageous for these cooling devices to be arranged in such manner that the roll or sheet formed comes into contact with these devices successively by one face and then by the other in such manner as to obtain a complete cooling through the whole mass.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. il food casting and wrapping process, comprising advancing a continuous strip of ilexible wrapping material endwise, while progressively folding it into trough shape to form a mould, pouring into said mould a thermoplastic food product selected from the group consisting of confectionery products and fatty substances in liquid easily fiowable state, folding the sides of the trough-shaped strip in overlapping relationship over the depositediood product to form a continuous mould tube having the food product therein, cooling the food product in said tube to a plastic state, squeezing said tube at spaced points to displace and press aside the plastic material and bring the opposite sides of said tube into contact, and forming thereby a series of Successive interlinlred packages, and cooling said packages to harden the food product therein into a rigid state.

2. In a food casting and wrapping process as described in claim 1 the additional step of severing said tube at the squeezed sections thereof, to form individual separate packages.

` 3. A food casting and wrapping process, comprising advancing a continuous strip of flexible wrapping material endwise, while progressively folding it into trough shape to form a mould. pouring into said mould a thermoplastic food product selected from the lroup consisting of con- 6 fectionery products and fatty substances in liquid easily ilowable state, folding the sides of the trough-shaped strip in overlapping relationship over the deposited food product to form a, continuous mould tube having the food product therein, cooling the food product in said tube to a plastic state, squeezing said tubeA at spaced points to displace and press aside the plastic material and bring the opposite sides of said wrapper into contact, forming thereby a series of successive interlinked packages, causing the contacting surfaces of said tube to adhere together, and cooling said packages to harden the lood product therein into a rigid state.

4. A food casting and wrapping process, comprising advancing a continuous strip of ilexible wrapping material endwise, while progressively folding it into trough shape to form a mould, pouring 4into said mould a thermoplastic food product selected from the group consisting of confectionery products and fatty substances in liquid easily fiowable state, folding the sides of the trough-shaped strip in overlapping relationship over the deposited food product to form a continuous mould tube having the food product therein, cooling the food product in said tube to a plastic state,` squeezing said tube at spaced points to displace and press aside the plastic material and bring the opposite sides of said tube into contact, forming thereby a series oi' successive interlinked packages, goii'ering the contacting surfaces of said tube to cause them to adhere together, and cooling said packages to harden the food product therein into :a rigid state.

JACQUES EDWIN BRANDENBERGER.

REFERENCES CITE) The following references are of record in the 

